


Heavy Wings

by Chaos_Kultist (PrimarchOmegon)



Category: Horus Heresy - Various Authors, Warhammer 40.000, Warhammer 40k (Novels) - Various Authors
Genre: Adorable, Childishness, Fluff and Humor, I Don't Even Know, I'm Bad At Titles, Other, Pre-Heresy, Randomness, Shipping, Slash, i guess...., kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-04-30 02:36:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5147129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrimarchOmegon/pseuds/Chaos_Kultist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story is set in the pre-heresy time where everything was still kind of fine and Lorgar wasn't acting like a rebellious teenager.</p><p>The Thousand Sons have just brought a new planet into compliance and stay to salvage as much knowledge as possible, which also<br/>includes a very perculiar species that seemed to have crashed and lived on this planet without even being discovered until now.<br/>Perculiar enough to even catch the interest of the primarch himself and it soon dawns to him that while this creature keeps answering all his questions rather politely, it raises even more in return.</p><p>Now all there's left to do is finding an unlucky iterator to play babysitter for a WHOLE lot of time!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Curiosity

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy, this is the first time I really publish something I wrote...  
> This right here is probably not the least lore-friendly, but I had this character in my head, so I wanted  
> to put him to the test in the Warhammer 40k universe after I read 'A Thousand Sons' and I thought:  
> "Why not write something adorable instead of psychological terror and violence for once!" (I've been  
> pressured to put this up for so long, you have no idea.)
> 
> Beware, for English isn't my first language and I was spell-checking like crazy, but I'm also just human...  
> More or less. So whomever finds some spelling errors: I'm glad if you'd keep them, they also need some love.  
> It's also not finished yet and still ongoing, I have some anatomy problems to face, but nevertheless:  
> Enjoy!~

"How are you feeling today?"

++Good.++

"I noticed you don't use the bed and keep on levitating."

++I can't lie down. There is no comfortable position for me. The wings are in the way.++ Of course they would be. Back then, they counted more than three pairs of wings while they had analyzed his body in an attempt to understand what they were dealing with.

"We increased the room's temperature, but it seems that it's still not high enough for you to stop shivering."

++I noticed, thank you. You are such a kind person. But it's not the temperature. I was born like this.++

"You haven't eaten today. Nor have you eaten in the past three weeks."

++I'm not hungry. You are such a kind person. But having light is enough for me.++ That's what he always said. But it didn't seem like an automatic response, more like he didn't know any other words to express his gratitude.

At first, it had been awkward talking to a pile of wings that levitated off the floor and was almost as tall as him, but Magnus had managed to move on and ignore that for quite some time now. Things always became less awkward when you stopped thinking about them. Still, what he couldn't stop thinking about, was what sought shelter within these wings and why it didn't want to be seen. He was able to feel a living creature inside, a mind that was more than happy to share things with him, but that didn't help with figuring out what all these feathers and wings were connected to. Only that it was very old and very sensible to physical stimulation. Just touching one of the wings made the whole pile twitch and itch for some reason.

They had tried to get an x-ray somehow, which had resulted in a complete mess because of the wings being arranged in layers. The bone structure of those things basically took up the whole image, they hadn't even been able to get a blood sample from somewhere.

"I brought you something you might want to try. Would be a shame if you miss out on eating that. "

++Does it taste good? I only eat things that taste good. It makes me happy.++

"I'm sure you'll like it." Even though chocolate was probably the most basic thing one could offer, but maybe it would work? Who knew, this... Whatever it was, didn't seem to know much about things like that in general. Trying things out in order to bond with it a little more surely wouldn't hurt. Especially because it had acted very friendly and supporting towards him and his legion.

"Now then, it would be more easy if you could reach out for it." Honestly, he hadn't thought that this trick would work, but the rustling of feathers and the hand that suddenly emerged out of the pile proved him wrong. It was a pale hand, but the light showed faint patterns were skin could be seen, like tattoos in a slight variation of the original skin colour. Strangely, they didn't seem like tattoos rather than an actual part of the skin itself, as if they weren't accessories, but birth marks. Usually birth marks didn't have a slight shade of blue in them though. And they didn't necessarily look like perfectly symmetrical patterns. But the thing that concerned him even more was the creature's shaking which made it extremely difficult for its fingers to pick up a piece of chocolate. It didn't seem like it was doing that on purpose, a neuronal problem maybe?

++I seem to have dropped it.++

"That's alright, I'll pick it up for you."

++I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you trouble or inconvenience.++

"Don't worry about it, you're not. How about this: you open up for me and then I can give it to you."

++I could let your hand in, if you want. My wings are heavy. It takes too much energy to move all of them. And I don't want to sleep yet.++ Instead of waiting for something, Magnus grabbed the pale hand and followed it inside the nest of feathers and wings. How warm it was in there, a soothing, but steady heat. It felt so welcoming...

It took him a moment until he remembered what he was doing and started to probe around with his hand until his fingers found something that felt like an arm, wrapped around a pair of legs. Was it a human being inside this cocoon out of feathers, curled up in there like an infant in its mother's womb? And if so, what did that mean and where did it come from?

"Are you comfortable in there?"

++Yes.++ The wings started to twitch around his arm.

++You are tickling me, Magnus.++

"My apologies. Ah, there you go, it's hard to get a sense of orientation in this thing." He was able to feel the shaking more clearly now, except that it wasn't just that anymore. Now that he had reached the source of it, it became more clear that it wasn't mere shivering, but random muscle spasms and stuttered breathing while it chewed.

"Is it good?"

++Delicious. It melted in my mouth, I didn't even know that there could be such a thing! You're such a kind person!++

"I was wondering... You didn't tell us your name."

++You didn't ask so I thought it was alright not to tell. I was very sleepy back then too.++

"Then what do I call you, friend?"

++When I was found, they called me Seraph. I liked the sound it made when the others said it.++

"There are more of your kind?"

++I'm the only Seraph. My name also describes my kind. But there are more with less wings. With two, with four, even six. But not as many as I have. They are good people.++ A planet full of winged humans, that would be an incredible discovery! A few apothecaries would probably be enough to determine the cause of this mutation and find a way to reverse it. Even though Magnus couldn't help but admire the soft feathers and strong muscles that held those wings in position.

"We could remove your wings, Seraph. It wouldn't hurt and you should be able to lie down on your back."

++They'll grow back. I don't need to try to know that. This is my body and that means this is how I was supposed to be. I'm not unhappy. But...++

"But?"

++I miss the hot spring. It has been so long since I took a real bath. The others would carry me to this one spring once a month to clean me, even though I don't get dirty. But it's nice to be in the water. It reminds me of the time before I was born.++

You remember that?"

++Only faintly, but yes. The warmth, the tight space, me pushing against it, even though I didn't want to leave. But at some point, I was too big to fit in there. I remember that it was cold and bright outside, so I closed my eyes and pulled my wings around me. And I remained like this for years. It's still cold outside. The time to open up again hasn't arrived yet.++ How interesting, did that mean that the right temperature would get him to spread his wings? Maybe Ahriman and a few of his men could be bothered to take care of getting that bath ready, but he also knew that Seraph got nervous around his first captain for some reason.

++I feel really sleepy. I'm sorry, friend.++

"It's alright, I'll come back in a few hours if you want."

++I don't know where I am. I'm nervous to sleep in a new environment such as this.++

“I can assure you that you're absolutely safe. Nothing will happen to you, I promise. I won't allow that.”

++Please stay with me.++

“Of course.” It would probably not be wise to leave Seraph with one of his captains, even though he trusted every single one of them. But one could only guess how long it would

take a creature such as Seraph to fully trust someone, after all, he remained in his cocoon made out of soft feathers and wings and didn't want to come out yet. Probably because his body was a vulnerable weak point, it didn't seem like it was very healthy, considering the spasms and the shaking. Maybe he could be talked into sleep if he felt safe and sound and comfortable in this situation.

“Tell me about your planet, what's it like to live there?”

++It's wonderful. Full of live and trees, plants and flowers. And so many animals. We are not many, but we live a great life. I lived in the bigger house with a few of the others. They took good care of me, it was really good to have them around. You see, the more wings we have, the higher our status in society. Also, with more wings comes more responsibility and decisions to make.++ The more wings, the more royal? Well, in that case Seraph clearly took the cake. They had attempted to count the pairs, but that resulted in a mess because of the layers of feathers and smaller wings underneath that hadn't been noticed before.

“So you lived in a palace, because you had a royal status, interesting. Well, I can't get you any servants at the moment, but if you need something, just let me know. ”

++So it's called a palace. But I'm afraid I don't know what servants are.++

“People that do things for you. You pay them to clean your rooms, help you get dressed, such things.”

++And what is paying?++

“You give people a certain amount of money for their work, such as cleaning and taking care of you. The harder the work, the more they get paid.”

++And... what is money?++ Why in the name of holy Terra wouldn't one know what money was, there was no planet in the whole galaxy that was able to function without money! There even was an old saying on Terra from before the enlightenment of the Imperium that said that even hell would run on money.

“Then what do you give them in return for their service?” He could feel the pile of wings move in an unusual pattern for a second and came to the conclusion that Seraph must've shrugged.

++Nothing. Why would I need to give them something for things they like to do? They are happy when I'm happy and I felt happy whenever they were in the same room with me.++

“Then what do they pay their food with?”

++We don't eat much, but when we do, it's something that tastes good to us. Like bread or fruits. Sometimes cake, I like when they make cake. It's always something special when food arrives.++

“So you're saying that your people trade something and get food in return? See, it works like this: You get paid a certain amount of money for your work and different food costs a different amount of money. If you don't have the money, you can't buy what you want and need to save it for later when you have enough. Of course, you also have to pay for your house, the furniture and all that, that means you might not have enough money to buy food at all. We call it being poor.” One more try. Just one. This seemed like an economy that was about to fall into an endless pit where nothing had any real value at all.

++That sounds mean. Why would you do that if you could give out food just because you want to see others being happy and enjoying it? We do it like that and it works good. Everyone has a place to sleep and is happy and can eat whenever he wants to.++

“Okay, good. But what if you want a slice of cake and someone takes all the slices before you can get one. Wouldn't that be unfair?”

++Of course it would be unfair, that's why we don't do that, so everyone gets one. It's just logical thinking. Besides, they always made extra slices, just in case someone wants more. Because it wouldn't be nice if someone wouldn't get to have any just because they're all gone.++

“What if someone needs help with something really big. Like building a house, he can't do

that on his own, can he?”

++Probably not, that's a lot of work. That's why we would help him, if he wants us to help. That's what friends do, isn't it?++

“And what if he has no friends?” Magnus could feel him hesitate for a second or two. It was almost as if this discussion confused Seraph more than clearing things up for him and he didn't really now what to answer most of the time. The whole concept of getting in debt, paying with money and fueling the economy seemed to be rather puzzling for him, not because it was too complex, but because he didn't understand, nor did he see any reasons behind it.

++There's no way that someone has no friends. I don't think I understand how your society works. it makes little to no sense for me. But if everyone is happy, I guess it's working out for everyone.++

“You sure lived in Utopia, huh?”

++That's a funny name, do you call our planet that? We call it Edan. I can't remember who had chosen this name, maybe it has chosen this on its own. It's a very wise planet, the earth there is special. I remember that I could taste all the minerals on my tongue before I was born. The trees seem love it, that's why we have such big forests around the Elder Tree.++ Did he just switch between different topics or were they connected somehow? It certainly seemed like it, but what did a tree have to do with the time before being born. Sure, an infant could probably taste different things in his mother's womb when its tongue was fully functional, but this... How would someone be able to taste the minerals through an umbilical cord?

“A tree with such a name must be something special, right?”

++It is, it's the biggest tree of all. Under the Elder Tree is where all of us are born and have been born.++

“So you travel there whenever someone is giving birth?” Another confused pause.

++The only one that lives beneath the Elder Tree is Asmail. He tells the others when someone new is born so that they can come and take him to the village to clean him and give him some clothes. Does your kind also have a tree like that? Does it have a name?++

“We have many of trees on Terra, yes, but they have other purposes and not.... Those kind of things.”

++Perhaps it's just tired and needs a break. We don't have that much newly born people either, about ten a year maybe. Sometimes more, sometimes less and sometimes none.++

“None for a whole year?! How do your people function, exactly?”

++We get very old, you see. The Elder Tree decides when the right time for more comes, sometimes we don't get any newborns at all.++ What a strange rhythm, maybe there was more to the general mutating defect than he thought. But even so, if there weren't any newborn children in a whole year or even two years straight, the chances were high that those without the gene defect of not being able to carry out a child, were forced to search for partners in their own families. Once this planet was found, they would probably need to get some women there to stabilize the population.

“There might be a reason for those low birth rates, what do you normally do once a woman gets pregnant? What is the common routine?”

++I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mean by woman?++

“Females. A little smaller and more fragile than the others. Like animals having two different genders, a male and a female one. And the female ones give birth to another generation.”

++Oh, they do? I never noticed, they look alike so much.++

“Female humans like to wear dresses and such and often have longer hair than men, it's called being feminine.”

++Ah, I see. We have many of those then. Everyone likes wearing dresses, they are really comfortable, but a few of us can't wear them while doing work, it's not a convenient

clothing style to work in. That's why we have two kinds of clothes, but dressing up for

special occasions is really fun too.++

“Also, a woman's voice is much higher than a man's. Men have a deeper voice.”

++I guess Asmail is female then, his voice is a little higher than mine. Then again, Isam has a deeper voice than I do, does that mean I'm female too? But you addressed me with the male personal pronoun of your language, right? This is very confusing, I must say.++

“This just occurred to me, but has your kind never tried to breed animals?”

++Why should we do that, they already do that on their own. The animal world is a very sensitive system, we would interrupt the flow of nature with doing that. And we don't want that.++

“So your kind doesn't eat them? Not even on special occasions?” The wings started to rustle and shake violently all of sudden and he could've sworn that he had seen a faint glimpse of the being inside the cocoon, but it only took them a few seconds to rearrange themselves in their usual formation again. Apparently he had struck a sensitive topic with his question.

++Why would you do something like this?! They are living creatures, they have their place in this universe, just like everything else, they _feel_ what you do to them! Why would you eat a creature that has never done anything mean to you? That's not fair, that's not fair at all! I wouldn't want to be eaten by something, that's why I would never eat something that doesn't want to be eaten.++

“I apologize if I made things uncomfortable for you, that wasn't my intention at all.” Even though his curiosity had gotten the better of him already. It would be a waste to stop here, just to come back tomorrow and roll up everything again and from the beginning and then not make any progress because Seraph was still sleepy. This was a totally different culture and it worked out for its population, even though there weren't any basic rules, just things that people didn't do. They didn't seem to have any of the social problems humanity suffered through because it never occurred to them that having an advantage over others would be something good. It was surprising that they hadn't already ended up as a slave race yet.

“That palace you mentioned, do you live with someone?”

++A lot of people! Some of us are good at deciding things, they live in the palace with me and help me with decisions and daily tasks. It's really exhausting for me sometimes, but it's also a lot of fun. I would love to live with everyone if I could. I guess building such a house would take a lot of time, I guess it would be a long term project.++

“But you seem to be the one with the highest social status so far, that means someone will have to take over once you're gone. Why not search for a partner while there's still time? Apart from other benefits, that would be the first thing to do, don't you think?”

++I think the Elder Tree will pick someone to fill my space one day. And if not, I'll find someone and ask him if he wants to take over, it's not that necessary to search for someone right now.++

“Wouldn't you like to have a family or something like that? Just pick one of your kind and let that person share your bed and live in the palace with you. You know...” He couldn't hold back a slight smile at the thought of using such a romantic way to describe something he didn't really know about either.

“Someone that makes you come out of your little nest, someone you would come out for willingly.”

++Wouldn't that be unfair? Why should I pick just one, I want everyone to live like I live and my bed wouldn't even fit two of us. I'd gladly have a sleepover with all of the others, but I think it's not big enough for that purpose.++ Just when he was about to clear things up a little more, he was already interrupted again.

++Oh, I get it now!++ Did he really?

++It's _because_ it's not big enough, right? Of course, that makes sense, you pick one

because the bed is so small! Ah, maybe I could arrange something and pick one person at

a time for a sleepover, that way I would get to spend some time with all of them and not leave anyone out.++ Apparently, he didn't.

“You see, you only pick the one person you love and stay with him or her. After you chose to be with someone, you can't pick someone else. ”

++I don't think I like that idea much, how could I not love everyone equally? That doesn't seem fair at all...++

“I guess it just happens. Someday you'll find someone that seems to be more beautiful, more charming and more suitable to mate with than the others.”

++What if I find everyone beautiful? What if I like everybody? I don't want that someone feels left out, that would not be nice. Everyone has the right to be happy and feel comfortable.++

“Speaking of feeling comfortable, would you like another piece of chocolate? And don't worry about me, I brought it for you, it's all yours.”

++Sharing is caring after all. You're such a kind person!++ This time, he reached in with both hands and tried to pry open the gap a little to get a good look inside. That was, if Seraph would let him, of course, the wings were heavy and thick and moving them in the wrong directions would probably cause them to slide into rather uncomfortable positions.

++What are you doing, the cold gets in that way.++

“You still haven't eaten up yet, just concentrate on the taste for a bit. Don't mind me.” There was something inside, the slight outlines of something that moved, trying to avoid the cool air that slipped in. He could make out the wings where they were connected to the back, the fetal position the body had chosen to remain in, even while eating and long, blond hair. But the most interesting part, the face, was buried somewhere behind Seraph's knees. And it seemed that he was indeed wearing a robe that looked an awful lot like a white night dress. It would probably be good to make an appointment with an apothecary soon though, these muscle spasms didn't seem natural one bit and he couldn't help but worry about what caused them. Loosing someone that valuable to a mere disease would require a level of carelessness he wasn't willing to step on at all.

“Wouldn't you like to know what I look like?”

++I felt you standing in front of me. Is it much different from what I felt?++

“Just lift your head a little and look at me, it's not that exhausting. I promise.”

++But only a little! I don't like the cold touching my face...++ He didn't really know what to expect, he hadn't expected anything at all. But the pale face he saw, the clear, blue eyes that were looking at him in surprise and the slightly androgynous features that seemed quite appealing somehow were enough to keep him staring for a couple of seconds.

++Oh.++

“Oh?”

++ This is definitely not what I felt you look like. And you're missing an eye. How did that happen?++

“It always was like this, I guess. What about the patterns on your skin?”

++Same. There were there as long as I can think back. I really like the colour, it looks very decent. And my favourite colour is yellow.++

“Where did you get that all of a sudden?”

++I figured that yours would be red.++

“Oh my, how did you find out?” When he saw Seraph smile, it felt like something warm and liquid was dripping down on the inside of his chest. What in the name of holy Terra was going on and why did the rhythm of his hearts change all of a sudden?

++Just a lucky guess. So... Will you stay with me while I sleep? I feel really tired.++

“Of course.”

++Thank you. Now let go of my wings, it's getting really cold in here. And I need all the warmth I can get, while the sun isn't there.++ He nodded and backed off a little when the whole pile of feathers rustled to get everything back in place. He would get him out of there one day, definitely! A face like this was made to be shown, it was made to look beautiful and young, as if it's sole purpose had been and still was to be perfect. There were people with a natural talent to look handsome, he knew that much, but this was a whole new level of looking good. Speaking of new levels, was Seraph still awake? The psychic link that had connected their minds like a bridge had already faded, did that mean he was asleep? Hopefully, otherwise he might have heard what he was thinking about. But it couldn't hurt to make sure...

It was easy to not be noticed while he reached out for the other mind, now that Seraph wasn't conscious anymore, still, he hadn't expected to be pulled right into a dream. Usually, dreams only occurred in the deepest phase of sleep, that must mean Seraph was able to fall asleep instantly on the spot, which was quite remarkable.

What was also remarkable was how fast the dream built itself up around him, as if it couldn't wait to show him what it had prepared for this strange encounter of minds.

Clearly, this setting was meant to be a palace, but the engineering behind the corridors, hallways and even the glassless windows wasn't imperial, more like an attempt to build something that looked a little more elegant. Sure, it wasn't bad or crudely put together at the last second, there were quite a lot of details and effort put in all of this, but it wasn't even comparable with the wonders of the imperial architecture. This was much simpler, due to the fact that the people here didn't seem to know much about the subject in general and what could be possible with the right tools and materials. As far as he saw it, there wasn't used anything else besides stone at all, but some sparkles in the polished floor did catch his attention after a while. Was that... gold? Did that mean these architects didn't even know how to separate a precious ore from mere stone? Or maybe this dream didn't care what ridiculousness it presented to him.

Either that or the polished stone under his feet and the hallway he stood in were a sudden vision of something that would eventually happen, somewhere on another planet where stone plates in the floor had gold ore in them. Theory number two was eliminated as soon as two winged men approached him in the hallway, but the closer they got, the harder it was for him to fit them into a gender.

And then, instead of passing by, they stopped and smiled at him. Well, that was strange, usually he wasn't noticed by the subconsciousness while wandering through dreams of others.

“Greetings, friend, you seem to be new here. My name is Samandriel, might I ask what planet you're from?” He hesitated a little. That was a really bugging question, where did he actually come from? His mind wanted him to say Prospero, but there was this part of him that knew he also belonged on Terra.

“It's far away from here. Very far.” That should be enough for now. Surprisingly enough, it truly was.

“How exciting! Uriza, go and tell Cherub and the others that we have a guest, they might want to ask something too.” The six-winged man nodded and waved at him before he disappeared at the other end of the hallway.

“Are you looking for someone?”

“Not really, I was just wondering... Is this where Seraph lives?” The other man made a noise that sounded an awful lot like a female squealing and his wings flapped a little.

“I knew it! You just can't visit us without meeting Seraph, it's always like that.”

“What about the other cities?”

“Others? I never knew there were others, did you see another one when you came here? That would be great, perhaps they would like to move to us!” No other cities, what kind of place was this? One would think that at least a small amount people would want to expand over the whole planet, in order to gain more resources. On the other hand, a population of creatures that hardly consumed any resources at all were probably not that desperate to

move on.

“You haven't even asked what reason I have to see Seraph.”

“Why would I ask, that's none of my business at all! If you two want to have a nice chat in private, that's alright with me, I don't need to know everything.”

“I could do something bad to him and you wouldn't even notice.” He felt Samandriel looking at him with a sudden uncertainty that lingered on, even when he got his answer.

“You have no reason to do something bad to him. It would make everyone sad and being sad is not something that feels good. Doing bad things results in someone being sad, so we don't do bad things, because we want no one to be sad. Everyone has the right to be happy, it's not nice to take that away.”

“I'm sorry for bringing something like this up, I didn't mean to be impolite. So your planet hasn't got any social problems at all, everyone is treated equally? What about the gender roles?”

“What is a gender?” Oh boy, back here again with this conversation. He could've figured out by now that he would get this kind of response very often with these people.

“You do have males and females of your species, don't you? Males mate with females so that they give birth to a new generation, kind of like animals do it.” Samandriel looked at him once more, trying to find something that gave him an idea on what they were talking about, shortly followed by giggling uncontrollably.

“We don't have something like this here, friend. Mating is what animals do and we're not animals, therefore we don't mate with each other, I wouldn't even know how. Ah, this is truly interesting, I'm starting to like you more and more, friend!” Now that it was mentioned, he didn't see one female in the small groups of other people they had met on the way. Some of them wore something that looked like dresses, decorated with stitched ornaments and sequins, but it wasn't like there were any female outlines to be seen under those thin layers of clothing. Also, everyone they had passed on the way had worn at least two different kinds of jewelery, making it even harder to distinguish between any possible genders. This whole thing made no sense, this was not how a functioning species worked, this was not how any kind of human-like species worked...

“Then how does your kind reproduce? How can there be so many of you, all with different proportions, voices and even hair color?”

“Oh, it's quite simple: The Elder Tree decides what form we take.”

“I know that that's where you're born, but how is that even possible without something to carry out the child!”

“It's true that the tree is where we're born, but it's also how we're born. It decides when it's time to give birth to someone new and it decides when to take someone in again.” Before he had time to question such a ridiculous statement, Samandriel stopped and opened a door to peek inside.

“Cherub, is Seraph done already? We have a guest that would like to have a chat.”

“Not yet, but please come in. We're almost finished.” At first, he couldn't even make out what this scene was supposed to be, until he was able to figure out which wings belonged to whom and that Seraph was buried somewhere under his own, while lying on his stomach. He couldn't really tell though, except when a leg with a golden bracelet around the ankle slipped out of the pile of wings that the others were holding and folding in certain directions. Now that he looked more closely, Seraph didn't seem to be the only one with those unusual birth marks all over his body, he could see the faint lines and patterns on the skin of the others too, while they tried to create some space for the one named Cherub, so that he could...

“You're massaging him?”

“Of course, it's important to not let the body get tense. It has to put up with a lot of weight because of the wings, we're making sure that it can support all of it.” The wings twitched and shivered while Cherub continued his work, even though the hand he could make out was clenched into the mattress Seraph was lying on. The knuckles were already white and it looked like he was squirming and moaning to get out somehow.

“It doesn't seem like he likes that, you should stop.”

“Ah, no, that's not it. You see, the area on our back is very sensitive. We have to be extra careful while massaging it, but we've only had positive results so far. It's alright, that isn't the first time we work with Seraph.”

++What are you doing in my dreams, Magnus? It's too early to dream about you, I've only known you for about three weeks now.++

“Are you feeling alright?” Why was he even concerned, this was a dream and nothing more, there was no way anything could happen to Seraph while he was dreaming, so why did he insist on making sure that he was okay?

++I'm good. Cherub is good at giving massages, I enjoy his company very much.++

“It sounds like it hurts.”

++I'm sorry. I'll try to keep it down from now on.++

“And done!” Cherub backed off a little when the others put Seraph's wings back in place

so that he could curl up in his feathery cocoon again and lift himself up.

++It feels as good as I remember it. It's probably because this is only a memory I dream about. How do you like it so far?++

“It's really bright, I didn't expect that, to be honest. On second thought, you said you'd survive by eating light and warmth, so it only makes sense, I guess. So, what does this memory lead to, if it isn't finished yet?”

++It leads to you, eating with us. Don't worry, the figments of this memory will make room for you, they already know you don't really belong in this setting. But I kind of wish that you would be a part of it.++

“Why is that?”

++ Because it would mean that I had met you way sooner than three weeks ago. I'll tell you how happy I am when I wake up, this is only imagination after all.++ Now all of this started to make more and more sense. If Seraph didn't know that he actually was in this dream as a visitor, not something that was added to the whole mix of imagination and memories, then... Then he could probably try to find out a few more things this way.

“So seem very excited about the whole food thing.”, he continued while walking next to Seraph and a few others that made their way down the hallway.

++I am, it's a special thing. Everyone comes to the palace so that we can eat together, it's really fun!++ It was obvious that they headed for something like a dining hall, but the actual thing seemed to be much smaller than what he was used to from other planets or the imperial palace. How could the population of a whole planet remain that small? It seemed so unnatural somehow, still, it also had a very relaxing ambiance to it.

“Huh, guess you're a little late, everyone's already here.”

++Ah, no. No one is late, because it only starts when everyone is there. That way no one feels bad on a day that has food! You can sit next to me, if you want. But make a little room for the others, they need to squeeze in here now and then.++ He was about to ask something when he sat down at the head of one of the long tables, but was soon interrupted by many other people that grabbed fruits, slices of cake or bread and started to carefully work their hands in between the layers of feathers and wings in Seraph's cocoon to feed him things and then retreat to their places again.

“Are you good in there?”

++Sometimes I have to remind everyone that I only have two hands, two arms and one mouth, but yes. I wish I could hold more of what they give me though.++ Naturally, it would be easier if Seraph would open up, but it was probably for the better this way. These people seemed to have taken a liking in being overwhelmingly comforting and convenient.

Suddenly, a six-winged man and another one with two wings caught his eye, mostly because he remembered the one with six wings from the hallway he started in.

“Those two over there, do you know them?”

++Vael and Faelian, yes. Faelian has made the cake and the bread and Vael helps bringing everything here. I find that nice.++

“They're close, huh?” Judging by the way they fed each other food with their hands and what their body language told him, they were more than close.

++I guess. When there's work, they work together and they're really good at what they're doing.++

“See and that's how humans act when they -” He interrupted himself when he noticed Vael turning to his neighbor and doing the exact same thing. Huh, maybe this wasn't exactly the relationship that would help Seraph understand human behavior and how society was structured. Then again, now that he took a closer look at all of them, he noticed that there was not a single one of those winged creatures that stayed by a certain person, they all moved and got up to switch places at some point, so that they could feed and talk to someone else. The only purpose of the tables was to present and hold the food and the benches were merely there to rest for a couple of minutes when one didn't feel like walking anymore.

++ _When they_ what? Stop drawing out the tension, I can barely contain my curiosity, Magnus!++

“It's nothing, I was just... imagining things.”

++Ah, I believe imagining things in a dream is quite common. But it's new to me that you can do that, I thought this was my dream. Oh, you mean like... This is one of those figures you told me about, right?++

“A figure of speech, yes. Not that exciting, I'm afraid.”

++I would love to stay here, you know. It's were I truly belong and were my home is. But if I would stay in my dreams, I would not get to talk to you anymore and I don't like that thought. I think it's time to wake up now, it was fun while it lasted, though.++ What would have been even more fun was to actually understand how this race worked, but yeah. He was but a viewer of all of this, he was probably not in the position to complain about anything. And tomorrow, he would make Seraph come out of that thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE'S THE LINK TO A BIRD PEOPLE BLOG: http://halfaprimarch.tumblr.com/BirdPeople It's still in the process of being made, BUT it will be some kind of Wikipedia  
> for the most adorable race in the universe (except baby animals, Seraph's biggest rivals are baby animals when it comes to cuteness.)


	2. Welcome

“I still think that you could've done this on your own.” Not that lifting Seraph up and placing him in the pool with his mind was that difficult, but he could've saved that energy for something else.

++Look at the size of that thing, this is great! It's as big as the hot spring I'm used to, but this is in your house! How is that even possible? How can you put water from one place to another and not cooling it down while doing so?++

“It's easy, but you don't have to think about that for now, enjoy your bath.”

++Where are you going?++

“I still have to get some things done, I'll be back in an hour or two, so you can relax all you want.” It would probably take some time for Seraph to open up all his wings, just sitting here and waiting would be more suspicious than leaving and returning in ten or twenty minutes and claim that he had forgotten something.

++You're not... going to come in too? But I thought you said we would take a bath...++

“See, sometimes when people use the word _we_ , they actually mean _you_. And I'm already clean, I don't need another bath.” On the other hand, if Seraph wanted him to stay, then that would be the least suspicious thing he could think of. Even though he highly doubted that Seraph was able to be suspicious about something. Which meant his choice whether to stay or to leave and come back didn't matter at all, he could just do what he wanted to and Seraph would think nothing of it. Why in the name of holy Terra was someone with such a simple mind so complicated to handle?!

“But on the other hand, one can't have too many baths, right? I guess I could use a bit of relaxing too.” If he would really do this, then he would do it the right way.

++You're really tall, wow. The waves you make are quite big.++

“Usually, it's the eye everyone is on about, not the height, so that's a new one.”

++I guess I'm not that usual either, so it probably fits! Ah, the water is so amazingly warm in here...++ At first he thought the wings were just shaking to get into a better position, then again, he was utterly surprised when he saw the layers opening up one by one.

“Throne, you truly have an awful lot of wings...”

++I know, right? It's really awesome, they keep me warm.++ He noticed that Seraph kept talking, but he didn't really pay attention to that anymore when the had unfolded themselves to their full extend. No, staring was inappropriate, touching would be even more inappropriate, but what could he do? What on earth could he do besides staring at this strange creature that smiled at him in such an innocent way?

++You seem surprised. Is this not what you expected to see or why do you look at me like that?++

“I thought you would be a little... smaller somehow.” Truth be told, he was a bit taller, if he was careful enough, he could probably place his chin on Seraph's head. What he saw only confirmed what he had seen earlier when he got a glance at Seraph in his cocoon, but standing in front of him was something entirely different. It _felt_ different.

++Well, I didn't expect you to be that tall.++

“You can use your mouth to talk now. If you want to, of course.”

++Oh. Right, sometimes I forget about that, but I feel way more comfortable to keep it like this. It's easier for me.++ It took him a while until he noticed that Seraph was still wearing his clothes. Or rather his dress, if one wanted to be specific. And Magnus didn't.

“You know, we take our clothes off when we take a bath.”

++It seems I forgot about that too. This is a strange day today.++

“How are you even able to wear this, considering all the wings on your back?”

++There's a button at my neck, it keeps the dress from falling off, because there's no fabric that covers my back.++

“I've been wondering about these wings, Seraph. I have a brother that also has wings, not as many as you, but he can do it, so... Can you fly?”

++ I would love to, but I can't. I'm afraid I lack the body to support such a massive use of

energy, it even tires me to move them in a normal pattern, so I don't think I would be able to use them properly.++ Like a bird that couldn't fly. Designed to be up in the air, destined to treasure this feeling, but never able to grasp it and get a hold of it. Kind of sad when you thought about it...

He shook his head lightly and sighed, not willing to accept this eerie feeling of melancholy that tried to slip its way into the situation somehow. Still, the only topic he could think of, when Seraph reached around and opened the buttons that held his clothing in place to take it off, was a more than stereotypical one.

“Is the water alright?”

++Couldn't be better! At least I can't think of anything better at the moment.++ Seraph's anatomy seemed... awkwardly good-looking. Not the kind of good-looking where someone spent his entire life devoted to develop muscles and a nice, healthy figure, not the kind of attractive that people worked towards in order to make themselves more appealing. This was a natural level of being attractive, nothing was covered by make up, no detail was brought into perfection with surgical treatments, no augmentations had been made.

He was well-build, the wings needed to be supported by strong muscles in the back and torso, but it seemed like the rest of Seraph's body just catched up with the muscles in some way. His arms seemed less muscular, but in a shape that matched the proportions of his body without giving the feeling that something was off. The thing that truly made Magnus feel a little awkward was how Seraph looked at him, returning the curious glances he had been given before.

++Huh... You seemed to be a lot taller when I wasn't looking at you physically. But it's alright. This way I can look at you without having to stretch.++ It was at this time that he realized that Seraph was waiting for him to do something. This awkward trading of stares had only begun because Seraph wasn't used to this kind of bathing situation at all, but wanted to be polite and let him set the pace. And servitors were not exactly suitable for bathrooms, but the servants wouldn't be able to reach the bottom of this pool and cleaning Seraph at the same time. Was it really coming down to this? Did he really think about doing that? Mh, it wasn't like anyone would ever know that this had happened, so...

“There's a ledge right there, near the middle. You can sit on that while I take care of the wings.“

++That would be nice. You're such a kind person!++

“You know, if you say something too often, it slowly starts to loose its meaning.”

++But... But you _are_! I don't want to stop telling you, I want you to know!++

“It's alright, I just want you to be careful with that, that's all. Now, uhm... Were to start?” Unsure of how to even begin with such a giant project, he did his best to get every feather while carding through them with his fingers from the middle to the outside, starting with the little wings at the bottom and slowly working his way up.

++No no, stop! Feathers aren't hair, it doesn't feel good when you card through them like that...++

“Couldn't you tell me that a little sooner?”

++I thought it would be obvious to follow the patterns of the feathers and stroking them. I'm sorry.++

“You need to let someone preen your wings now and then, it'll help getting the feathers in the right position.”

++Isn't that what two birds do together?++ His hands flinched, but found their way back to a steady rhythm almost immediately. That's right, birds were doing this, he almost forgot about that. They were doing this with their... partners.

“Yeah, birds do that. They take care of each other that way, that's how it works.”

++And you're taking care of me! I see the resemblance and it makes me happy, you're so kind. I really like this, I wish I could bring the others here. I'm sure they would love to meet

you and talk with you.++ Judging from what he had experienced in the dream, they

probably would and bury him under all the questions and things they wondered about. Almost as much as he buried Seraph in questions about this strange society he came from.

“I can't help but notice that you're still shaking. Why is that, is it still too cold for you?”

++It doesn't stop, I already tried to keep it down a few times, but it doesn't feel good when I do that, so I just go with it. It's not that distracting. I can manage. The others did the things I couldn't do for me, so I had no problems with it so far. Sometimes it's only my arms, hands or legs and sometimes it's everything, I always wondered about that.++

“But where does it come from? A neuronal issue like that isn't something natural, the problem could be your genes or an accident. Something like that.”

++I remember that one time I fell, that was when I was freshly born and not too experienced with walking yet. I remember that they pulled something from my neck, it was a little uncomfortable, but now that you mention it, that was the twitching started. I never thought that it was because of that, I always thought I was born this way.++ Well, that was certainly interesting. Interesting enough to not even make him ask for permission to push some of the smaller wings aside and have a look at Seraph's back. But where he expected a scar of some kind, he only saw marvelous, soft skin without the slightest hint of an injury whatsoever.

“Does it hurt when I push here?”

++I don't know, what does hurt feel like?++

“It's a negative sensation, divided in physical and emotional pain. Emotional pain refers to your inner feelings and physical pain to the feelings of your body.” Maybe he should get one of the memorators to explain everything to Seraph, since they were trained to have a better way of words.

++Is it like being unhappy? I don't want to be unhappy...++

“See, when you injure yourself somehow, your body tells you this by feeling physical pain.”

++Is that how you call it? I have felt a little uncomfortable while falling, so I think you're right. Sometimes, my neck feels strange.++

“I guess something got stuck in there and is pushing on certain nerves in your spinal cord. That's where the twitching comes from. You don't have to worry about that though, we'll get that out of the way as soon as you're out of the bathtub.”

++But if it's stuck, how do you get it out again?++

“We have surgeons for that. They'll make a small cut at your neck and pull it out, you won't even notice.”

++But I don't want them to do that, it sounds scary...++

“You won't even feel it, I promise.”

++Too scary, I don't want to! It's alright, I'm good...++ It wasn't like he couldn't just give Seraph an appropriate sedative and tell him to eat it, but that was beside the point. How did someone who felt no pain find something scary? Most fears came from the fear of getting hurt or die in some way, so why did Seraph object, even though he didn't even know what kind of feeling was linked to it?

“Are you having fun?”, he quickly changed the topic, noticing how much the mood had changed. It would probably be best if he kept Seraph happy and giving him the feeling that it was not needed to return to his feathery nest.

++I am, I never had a bath like this, thank you so much! I guess it's kind of a hobby for me, just like eating.++

“What about other things, do you like painting? I also noticed you have taken a liking in reading as many things as possible.” Luckily, he had enough books to keep up the pace, but Seraph didn't seem too interested in reports about the actual conquering of worlds, rather than stories about the planets themselves, their environment and their culture. He had already tried to explain to Seraph how worlds were brought into compliance, but it seemed like it would be best to not mention what happened to those who resisted for now.

++I like how and what your kind writes. Such warm emotions and feelings for each other, I could just burst with happiness whenever I read one of those.++ And then there was this kind of request. Usually, memorators kept to themselves and hardly talked with Seraph, even though there were highly interested in his species, but it seemed like one of them didn't keep her mouth shut about how she was going to marry someone. Which was immediately noticed and brought up by Seraph, asking her to write it down for him to read. All of that resulted in a big pile of non-educational love stories that had been brought in from all kinds of people and he had a hard time keeping them somewhere without accidentally mixing them into his own works.

++It's very difficult for me to learn about human things, I'm trying really hard to get it right. There are a lot of things I don't understand yet, but as long as I take my time with learning, I think I can do it.++

“What is it you don't understand? Maybe I can help you a little.”

++Many things. The humans that bring me texts and books, I think they like me. I can feel it, it makes me happy. But they never seek any contact. It feels strange, they even apologize if they touch me by accident and when I tell them that they did nothing wrong, they just nod and leave. I wouldn't mind cuddling at all and being patted feels good. Can you tell them that it's alright with me?++

“I can only promise to tell them, but doing so is up to them.” Of course it wasn't like this, but it was more important to get an approving nod than explaining to Seraph why he wouldn't allow mere personnel to touch someone like him and not apologize. And as long as Seraph still had the mind of a child, he would keep it that way, until it was the right time to tell him about the correct use of servants.

++That's why I like you so much. It doesn't matter that we're different, you treat me like a friend. I couldn't be happier.++

“Glad you like it here.” Well, that was another way to say it, but it didn't seem like Seraph's trust was hard to earn. Honestly, it wasn't hard to get him to trust someone after spending five minutes in the same room with that person either. Such careless behavior, then again, that's what was the most logical approach for someone that hadn't had contact with anything harmful yet.

“I think it's time for you get out of the bathtub now. Would be a shame if you get all soaked.”

++The feathers don't get soaked, they're covered with stuff that makes it repel water. It's like birds have it!++ Again with the birds, this couldn't get any worse.

“Ah, don't put your wet clothes back on when you're done! We have towels for that.” Or maybe he was wrong.

++Isn't that what you use to clean up when you spilled something?++

“Also that, yeah. But if you make them bigger, you can use them for drying yourself. Try it, they're really comfortable. You can wrap it around your waist until we found you some new clothes.” It was kind of strange seeing Seraph walk on his own and not levitating as a giant pile of wings, even though it was obvious that he struggled with the additional weight that pulled him backwards. But he seemed to manage quite well, not that Magnus was able to see much of his backside. Just a bit of skin here and there, showing between the folded wings and smooth feathers he had been caressing before.

++Is this how you do it?++

“This is how we do it.”, he nodded and smiled, even though Seraph was barely able to keep the towel from slipping off his waist while walking, since the wings were in the way.

“Hey, were are you running off to?” It was amazing how fast he could move, considering that the weight of the feathers should be a great disadvantage while walking, but by the time he had put on his clothes again, Seraph had already reached the balcony.

++That is a piece of nature! You never told me you have nature this close!++

“I didn't think that it would be of such importance to -”

++Can we go there? Can we go there now? I could probably jump down there and flap my wings a few times, that should be enough for a soft landing. But that would also tire me out...++

“Oh, I see where this is going. Alright, fine, I'll lift you up and help you down, but just this once. The next time you'll be walking through the hallways like everyone else, okay?”

++I promise!++

“But you need to put on some clothes before you can -” He sighed and followed Seraph down to the garden. Jumping off the balcony was not one of his preferred methods to get down there, but it was kind of an adventurous feeling to actually do it once, even though it was just to ensure Seraph a safe landing. At least there was no one here right now, it would not be tactical at all to show Seraph off in broad daylight, that would only result in him being caught in a crowd of thousands of people wanting to touch the wings.

++The grass is really soft. It feels like this piece of nature likes how it's been treated.++

“You can feel that?”

++Of course. It's like a natural vibe or atmosphere that surrounds the place. If it's gloomy or feels sick then something is not right. It only takes minor changes for some kinds of nature to feel uncomfortable.++ He watched Seraph pulling up his towel a little more to sit down in the grass and card through it with his fingers as if he was trying to pet it. Perhaps it was better for him to sit down and not stand too long, his wings must drag him backwards a lot. But even so, it didn't keep him from enjoying the sight of all the flowers, trees and the sky.

++Could you manage to put a few of those in my room? Usually, we use them to make paint out of them, but I always liked to keep them around to feel more connected to everything that surrounds me.++

“I guess it won't be a problem, there should be enough left. So your kind takes everything from the plants, interesting.” He couldn't help but glance at Seraph's joyful expression when he sat down next to him in the grass. It was like his face was transparent and showed the current emotion, waiting to be read like an open book. On the other side, Seraph didn't seem to know how to react to sentences, statements or emotions that didn't match the facial expressions he was shown.

++I heard a person telling another one that no one would like her anyway, but I really like it when she brings me books. And I like her too. Why would someone say such a mean thing?++

“You know Seraph, people are like that sometimes. They lie.” He sighed.

“Ignorance is the only true evil, I'm afraid.”

++What is lying?++

“It's when you make something up to tell even though you know the truth, just so you have an advantage over others.”

++Well, at least you would never do that to me. You're a kind person!++

“Of course I wouldn't.”

++See? I knew it!++ He was barely able to unfold his arms to prepare for the hug that followed, but the actual difficulty was finding a place for his hands in this mess of wings and feathers.

“You're really a physical person, aren't you?”

++We all are! I was wondering why you didn't hug me, but then I figured that I should be to one to start. And look, it worked!++

“Ha, I can't squeeze you, now can I? The wings aren't really handy for hugging.”

++Hm, maybe if I fold them a bit...++ At first, he thought that Seraph meant to just fold them at his back and sides like a bird would, then he realized that hey wrapped themselves around both of them. The feathers tickled a little wherever they touched his skin, but he couldn't help but feel like someone pulled him into a warm, full-body hug. And it was surprisingly more pleasant than it sounded to be caught in a feathery nest of heavy wings while hugging an... angel? He sighed and tried to distract himself from that thought somehow. Seraph was nothing like that, he wasn't some kind of religious mythological creature, just a slight variation from human nature.

Religion was meant to cover up the truth, but this was real, right here and now and there was a scientific explanation for it. Somewhere in Seraph's genes was the key to why he showed this kind of mutation and how it was passed down generation after generation. All they had to do was find and correct it. If they were careful enough, it would probably be possible to give Seraph some kind of medical therapy so that they could remove his wings without having them grow back.

++I've never had a visitor in here, I must say.++

“I guess I should consider myself lucky then, huh?” Honestly, it wouldn't have felt that strange if Seraph had decided to not sit on his lap while hugging him, but that man was like a child. It was better to not argue about something that trivial, he would allow it for now.

“So, how long are you planning to stay like this, Seraph?”

++As long as you and I feel comfortable and enjoy each others company. Does it still feel pleasant?++

“It's kind of... close.” Hearing Seraph chuckle made him aware of how much he felt his hearts beating somehow. The smell of his hair, the touch of his wings and feathers that tried to warm up a little on the sun, all of that made Magnus forget about the things he wanted to ask all of sudden. And that was something that didn't happen often.

++Of course it is, it's supposed to be like that. You see, when people hug each other, it gives them both a feeling of belonging and friendship. You're doing quite good for someone who isn't fond of hugging, I must say.++

“Hey, I never said that I was -”

++Do you hear the birds? This is beautiful. I feel like I haven't heard this in a long time, there are huge gaps in my memory too. But it doesn't matter now, I like this and I want to stay here with you.++

“I'm afraid I can't stay here for long. This is just a short.... _vacation_ for me and my men.”

++Could you... Take me with you? Or do I have to wait here until you come back? I would love to see other worlds, other cultures and what other species exist in this galaxy, especially a few I've read about! Can't you take me with you?++ What a question. Not only that it would be difficult to explain to Seraph what they needed to do most of the time to bring a world into compliance, but it would be even harder to explain the sudden disappearance of people whenever a civilization refused the enlightenment of the Imperium.

“Seraph, do you know what death is?” To his surprise, he earned a slow nod.

++I've read about it. And I find it scary, do things like that really happen?++

“More often than you think.”

++Creepy... I don't know how I feel about stop living all of a sudden, it sounds really unpleasant.++

“What does your kind do with their dead?”

++We don't have something like that, thankfully. Our planet is full of life, there is nothing that doesn't belong there, it's in perfect harmony with all the things that inhabit it. And so is life. When some feel that the tree needs them back, then they will visit it to become one with the stream of life that flows through its roots again.++ Well, that was odd. What was his body made of that it could dissolve like this? Or maybe the tree was full of bones or at least _something_ that indicated a change in its structure and chemistry. A tree that ate people, what a story to tell. All they needed now was something like a mountain that ate the dead and then they would have some material for at least one whole book.

++I read that your race does something like.. mourn? I think that was the word. It seems very alien to me, I must say. Whenever someone joins the tree again, we're not sad about

that, because that person is now one with everything, so no one really leaves our

side. But you know what's even more scary than death? Diseases! To think that humans can have something in their bodies that makes them feel, uhm... sick and all those things, it's really scary.++

“What, you never had a cold? Not even once?”

++I think not, it's always warm when I pull my wings around me. It's warm and soft and it feels safe. Kind of like now, except that you're here too... It doesn't feel unpleasant though, you might hold me forever, that would be totally fine with me.++ The feathers rustled a little while the wings adjusted themselves again.

++But I found it fascinating how humans look like from the inside. I don't know that muscles and bones look like this and what the shape of my organs is, your race seems to be very curious about those things and itself. That's really adorable, I must say, it reminds me of my home. Don't worry, I'm not homesick yet, I'm glad I can stay with you and your kind a little longer. I would like to learn more about it, if that's alright with you.++

 

****************************************

 

"I don't want to interrupt anything my Lords, but he said he wanted me to bring him another book about the flowers and plants of Prospero, so I went to look for him when I found the room empty. One of the Sons pointed me this way, my Lord." He found it funny when the young human bowed before them. It always looked kind of funny to him, but he figured that it wasn't all that necessary to understand why humans bowed down. Magnus had told him that this was to show respect and devotion towards someone that was of a higher status, but Seraph never really got what that was about. It seemed different from what he had experienced on his planet, where a higher status in society only meant that he had more wings than others and was chosen to make suggestions if problems needed to be solved.

"It's alright, I have business to attend anyway, so this might keep him busy until I return. Seraph, you already know Miss Salem, right? I leave you to her."

++Promise me that you try to hurry a little. But not too much! I wouldn't want that something goes wrong because of me.++ He liked it when Magnus nodded and turned around like that, it made strains of his hair flick in his face sometimes, which was really cute.

"Last time you said you wanted to ask me something, Sire."

++Oh, right! I almost forgot, this piece of nature really took my breath away for a couple of minutes... Well now!++ The young human looked rather confused when he sat down again and bowed his head a little to be at the same height, carefully observing what he saw. What incredibly beautiful eyes that person had, such a wild, stubborn green. It reminded him of the trees at home...

++Are male or female? Magnus tried to explain it to me, but I still can't distinguish between uhm... Genders.++

"I... I am a woman, Sire. That's what we call females." Seraph wasn't sure if he heard something like a slightly insulted tone in that female's voice, but instead of thinking nothing of it, he immediately reacted.

++I didn't mean to offend you, little human woman. It's just that this is all new to me and I'm really curious on finding out about these things! Since you're a female, could you tell me were the difference is, if you please?++

"Well Sire, the differences are mostly physical, woman are able to get pregnant and give birth to a new generation."

++He told me about that, yes, but how does it work? Oh, this is so great, I can barely contain my excitement! You people don't seem to be born from a tree like us.++

"Hold up, you're _what_.... Sire?", she added after a brief moment of hesitation. Seraph found it cute how she blushed when she heard him laugh, but he had also made the experience that many people here blushed when they talked to him or heard him laugh.

++You're not good with names, right? I noticed that many of you aren't, but it's alright. I'll just keep reminding you that my name is Seraph. You just have to practice a little and then

you don't even have to think about it anymore! At least that's how I do it.++

"I don't think this is appropriate, Sire. We should just-" The sudden squealing startled him a

little when he pulled her into his arms, but the fact that she didn't even try to free herself out of his arms was all the confirmation he needed.

"Sire, no! Please, you have to put me down, this is highly unprofessional!"

++But it's fun! Come on, it's just a little practice, I need to get a feeling for hugging you people, since you're so tiny! Because I don't want to squish you by accident!++

"Please, lord Seraph, what if one of the honor guards see this? I'm going to get my license revoked and that means I won't be able to work with you anymore!"

++Then we just tell them to not do that. I really like you, Marlene, you know I wouldn't like to get you in trouble...++

"Put me down this instant, young man...!" He hesitated, but followed her command. The more she was lowering her voice, the more serious she got and he respected that, despite finding it really scary sometimes.

"Good. It seems like you need to learn a whole lot more about behaving according to your rank, my Lord. People of lesser rank shouldn't be granted such gifts.", she said while trying to fix her thick braid. He found it funny how her brown hair matched her dark skin so perfectly. Nature truly was beautiful in every way.

++That doesn't seem fair at all, why can't I decide whom I want to hug?++

"You'll get used to it, my lord. Until then, I suggest that you keep sticking to lord Magnus - which shouldn't be a problem since you seem to like him a lot." His frown turned back into a smile when he laid down on his stomach to feel the grass more clearly. Seraph had recognized quickly that Marlene had been staring at him since she first walked into the... _gardens_ , as humans called this piece of nature. He didn't know why she was doing this, but he knew that he found it cute. She didn't seem to look at his face though, he wondered why she had kept gazing at his chest, stomach and sometimes his legs while blushing.

++Yes, I do! I like everyone of you! Magnus is really special though, I have to admit. I really like his voice, I guess that's why he actually bothers to talk to me verbally and not telepathically. Ah, you know this feeling when you just can't stop smiling? It's just like that, I can't do anything about it.++

“Wait, is it like butterflies?”

++Yes! How do you know?++ The slightly embarrassed laugh he got for saying that confused him a little, but nevertheless, she seemed to know what she was talking about and what he felt.

“Oh Sire, this is something special, something really special indeed...”

++What? Am I going to be sick? I don't want to be sick, it's scary!++

“No no, you're going to be just fine, trust me. It's all good, but I need to know a few more things first. To determine your...” She chuckled a little.

“Current state of mind and heart.” Well, that confused him even more. Was there something wrong with him or not? And if so, would she be able to fix him again so that he could spend some more time with everyone?

“You really like Magnus, don't you? Your eyes lighten up when you speak of him, I noticed when you started talking.”

++I can't wait to get him to bathe with me again! I'm not used to do that all alone, usually, we're about ten or twenty people in one spring and we take care of each other. I'm missing the atmosphere a lot, but he also takes good care of me. He could use some practice when it comes to preening my wings though.++The face she made was quite adorable, even though he didn't really understand why her cheeks turned so red all of a sudden. She had been blushing before, but not that immense. Seraph wondered if it was normal for humans to cover their mouth and nose while blushing or if that was just one of these strange women things he had been told about.

“I, uh... see. That far already, huh?” She sighed and sat down in the grass in front of him, finally accepting the easy friendship-like relationship he was offering. It made him happy to see her loosening up that much when she was with him.

“I overheard something the honor guards dropped while I walked past one of the meeting

rooms, it sounded like he's going to take you to the city for the first time tomorrow.”

++He's going to let me out?! Am I going to meet more of you?! This is going to be the best day ever!++

“Agh, my Lord, please. Contain your, uhm... excitement a little. You're giving me quite a headache with all this yelling.”

++Sorry, I'm just so excited for this!++

“Oh well... I also heard them saying that he's going to get you some new clothes, I guess this is going to be a real adventure for you. I wish someone would buy me clothes now and then...” She sighed again, more sad than exhausted this time. And that was exactly why Seraph had to make sure that everything was alright. He didn't like it when people were sad, it made him sad too.

“I can get some clothes for you too! I mean, I would need to know your sizes, you're really small, but I could get you something too.”

“My Lord, that is entirely not necessary, I assure you. You don't need to bother with this, I will get them myself... someday... when I have the money for that.”

++Oh, right, you trade money for things, I forgot about that. Seems highly unfair to me, I mean... Everyone deserves to have nice things, why does your kind do things so that some can't have them? And if someone hasn't got enough money to trade, why don't you give it to that person so that he can get something he wants or needs?++

“Because people are selfish sometimes, Se- Sire.” He giggled and poked her forehead, almost causing her to fall backwards.

++You almost said my name! One day, I'll get you to say it. Without those funny name things you put in front of it all the time.++

“It's a sign of respect if people call you like that, my Lord. You should be proud of your title.”

++So I can call you Lord Marlene, yes? That sounds funny!++

“And ridiculous, since I'm not of a royal status like you are, Sire.”

++I am? I read about kings in times of the old world order, it said that they're of royal status because of the bloodline they come from. But I am the same as everyone else on my planet, we all share the same blood. I also read that you call the human that made you mother, so I guess my mother is the Elder Tree.++ One of the humans that brought him some more books had to explain to him what parents were. Since Seraph had a whole bunch of people that raised him, it had been very difficult to understand how only two people could be capable of taking care of someone. But Magnus and Marlene took good care of him too, even though Marlene didn't make him like normal woman seemed to do. And that was something he enjoyed beyond anything else, so far. Except for the food maybe. Or talking to Magnus. Or the gardens. Ah, it was so hard to decide when one practically loved everything so far!


	3. Hospitality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't mind how insensitive I am to the Oxford-comma, I'm trying my best to give it some love!

“Now, my Lord, always remember to be polite and friendly towards other people, but do not be too friendly. Know your distance and keep it, otherwise you'll just make everyone uncomfortable.”

++I know, I know!++ She sighed and turned around.

“Sire, I've done all I can. I'm afraid this is as far as we'll get today.” Not that it wasn't already stressful enough to stand between this honorable and intimidating creatures such as Magnus the Red and Seraph. This was horrible and really exciting at the same time!

Marlene Syl'Ashor Salem sobbed in her thoughts and took a deep breath before she was able to follow both of those incredible men down the road, surrounded by a reasonable amount of honor guards.

Seraph seemed to take slow, careful steps, not sure how to balance his weight properly and probably because he wasn't wearing any shoes. He had refused wearing them when she came into his rooms for a quick talk and saw that he had received new clothes. Or rather: struggled to put them on without help after his bath. It had been at this point that she also noticed that Seraph didn't show any signs of body hair, except his perfectly formed eyebrows and the hair on his head. His genetic code didn't seem to be constructed for this kind of physical attribute at all. And then she had been standing there, staring and probably blushing like a schoolgirl again, unable to take her eyes of such a well- built body, thankfully, he had been able to put on his pants on his own. At least something she had been spared from seeing. Even though she couldn't deny that she was indeed curious about, well... The  _other_ physical features that Seraph's race had yet to show. No, FOCUS! At this rate, anyone could've read her thoughts so easily, she might as well project the images directly into their heads.

Marlene sighed again. After hearing that Seraph admitted having a thing for Magnus, she hadn't been able to think clearly from time to time and this right here was not helping the cause of forgetting about that. But the thought of such an angelic creature like Seraph and a primarch and therefore basically a demigod would somehow... end up feeling more for each other more than just platonic friendship, was preposterous! Heretical! And really,  _really_ hot. TERRA, where was that all-embracing calmness when she needed it?! Probably already in the gutter, together with her mind. Fine, when she was already at it, she might as well follow that train of thought a little. Just a tiny little bit, hopefully no one would notice.

Now how could she make those two bond a little more? It wasn't like Marlene didn't know about such things, but the fact that one of them was a friendly, newly found xenos - species that had just discovered its feelings for a son of the holy Emperor of mankind and therefore a primarch, empowered by divine grace, made it rather difficult to think of something that would work out properly.

It seemed like they got along quite good, he even caught a glimpse of her lord, slightly touching Seraph's shoulder and holding him back when a crowd of people started to form around them. Marlene didn't hesitate to take a deep breath and moved forward a little so that she had a better view at what was going on and why they had stopped all of a sudden. She would've thought that the primarch wouldn't want to stay in such a place for too long to not put Seraph under any kind of stress, but when she finally made her way to the top, flanked by the honor guards that tried to keep the crowd at distance somehow, she saw why.

Seraph had dropped to his knees and seemed to be doing something on the ground, but as soon as he stood up again, she realized that he had been picking up a small toddler that had made its way through the crowd and the honor guard to get a closer look.

++Oh my, what are you doing, little human? Ha ha. Magnus, look, it's a tiny, little human! I didn't know that here was such a thing, it's so cute! Look how little it is, why haven't I seen those in the palace?++

“That's a child, Seraph. Be careful with that little girl, children are extremely fragile.” A few seconds passed, in which Seraph, clearly irritated about all of that, looked at the toddler in confusion until the girl started to laugh at his facial expression and tried to reach out for his wings and hair.

++Can I put her on my shoulder? Can I take her with me?++

“My lord, I would not advise that!”, Marlene joined the conversation, trying to somehow get noticed over the muttering crowd.

“That little girl belongs to her mother, her parents are probably searching for her right now. I guess they're pretty worried about her.”

++Oh no! I don't want anyone to get worried, I'll put her down!++ Much to Marlene's surprise, Seraph didn't just hand the toddler to one of the honor guards and moved along. Instead, he went up to the front and gave the toddler back to a woman who had been pleading and demanding that they would let her through this whole time. Marlene could only imagine what political value Seraph had earned right now, just for being friendly to people. And she could imagine very well that Magnus had noticed this immediately.

“Have you never seen children before, Seraph?”

++No, we don't interact with humans much. Your recent species is all new to us!++

“Well, children become adult humans when they get older over time. The people you see here have all been as tiny and young as that little child you have been holding a moment ago.”

++No way! I didn't know, how can such a thing even... Your whole race is so exciting! I can barely hold my curiosity! I mean, we don't have such a thing, we're born as, uhhh... Adults. Yes!++

“Now then, shall we? Do you feel ready for this?” The soft nod made a few strains of hair fall into Seraph's face.

++Yes. I'm really excited about this, let's do it!++

“Alright then. Let them through, three each.” Marlene wasn't exactly sure if the explanation that the primarch of the Thousand Sons had given in public earlier that day was sufficient to extinguish theskepticism of all these people. Usually, finding a xenos species in a forest near certain cities always resulted in a hunt for said creature, given that it was most likely to be vile and dangerous. But so far, everything seemed to go quite well, the first three citizens passed through the passage the honor guards opened so that they could actually stand in front of Seraph and look at him properly. Logically, the first thing they did was bowing before him, even though Seraph still seemed to have a little trouble to understand what they meant by that. And then a slight moment of confusion followed, when he also dropped to one knee and bowed his head, followed by another moment of awkward silence in which Marlene hoped that Seraph hadn't forgotten about what she had told him earlier.

“My lord, please... You shouldn't do that in front of all those people, you need to get up again.”, she whispered, not sure if Seraph would be able to hear her, even though the answer followed almost immediately.

++They're already small, I can't talk to them properly if they, uhm.. Bow down?++

“Just tell them to stand up.”

++That would be highly impolite, if they want to do this then it's not my place to tell them to stop. It's what they want and I don't want to tell them what to do.++ When he continued, Marlene noticed the heads of the three people lifting almost in a split second, which indicated to her, that all of the others could hear Seraph as well.

++I noticed that you three were the first to come through, everyone else seems kind of shy, but you didn't hesitate, that's nice. I would like to ask you a few things if that's okay, I'm still trying to learn a bit more about this planet and humans in general.++ Marlene sighed and her hand found its way in her hair while trying to massage her forehead. Throne, this was all wrong, not how a royal being should behave! What in the name of Terra had she been doing wrong while explaining these things to Seraph.

++Would you mind telling me what kind of food you could recommend for me to eat?++ The first one to answer was the only woman between the other two men.

“Since I'm a chef myself, I would gladly provide you with a few hand-picked dishes, my 

lord. It would be an honor.”

++Oh, that is really great! Can I come by and try some if you have some time now and then?++

“Of course my lord. You will always be welcome, no matter what time you arrive.” At this point, Marlene had already given up on life. How could someone be that clumsy with his words and still get those effects from people he talked to? That wasn't normal, that wasn't even CLOSE to normal! Maybe it was his whole appearance and aura. It had to be.

++Now I'm really curious, what is your talent?++

“I'm... a blacksmith, sire.”, the second one in line replied, not without a little reluctance.

++I read about that! You take things from underground, melt them and then forge things out of them, right? What do you like to build?++

“I am specialized at forging jewelery, sire.”

++Like... Bracelets? Could you make me one of those, if that's not too much effort?++

“With ease, sire. It would be my pleasure.”

++Lovely! I have never worn jewelery that was made out of metal before, we usually use wood to craft some and then paint them in colors and patterns we like. Can you put in one of those shiny stones too, if you happen to find some?++ The man hesitated for a second, then nodded. Clearly, he was not used to meeting someone that was of higher rank than him, but didn't seem to know about that at all.

“Gems, yes. What kind would you like? And what kind of material should I use, I have a few you can choose from and I can provide excellent examples for all of them. I can also put in more than one gem, if you'd like or arrange them in a certain pattern.” Apparently, the blacksmith had realized that Seraph wasn't exactly experienced when it came to what humans called common knowledge and made up for it by providing the needed information himself.

++I think I would like... What was it called, tin? Yes, tin, I would like that. It's really shiny when it's polished and it reflects the light.++

“My lord, wouldn't you prefer something more noble? You don't have to hold back your wishes, it's his job to present you with the exact result you dreamed of.”, Marlene intervened, already sensing where this conversation would head. And that was something she couldn't allow, not in front of all these people. Seraph had earned a valuable spot when it came to presenting the image of the Imperium of Mankind and she wouldn't allow this useful opportunity to go to waste.

“What about a golden bracelet or a few silver rings?”

++Gold was yellow, yes? That would look nice with some red stones in it, that's a great idea!++

“I just need your measurements so that it will fit perfectly, sire.”

++Oh, of course...!++

“Please lord, do NOT give him your hand like that.”, Marlene whispered again and let out a lowly sigh. This was tougher than she had expected, but at least Seraph knew that he had to switch to a private conversation when she started whispering.

++Why not? Otherwise he wouldn't know how big he has to make it...++

“We will get your exact measurements at the palace and then commission the bracelet for you. You don't have to worry about things like that.” Thankfully, Seraph nodded at that and turned to the last of the three people.

++And what do you like to do?++

“I, uh... I'm an artist, my lord.”

++So you paint things?++

“That is what I do, yes, my lord.”

++Can you teach me? It was quite a while ago since I last had the opportunity to draw or paint something with brushes and paint!++

“Y-yes my lord, o-of course my lord! It would be an honor!”

++You can come over when you have some time to spare and then we'll paint something together! Oh, this is going to be great, we're going to have so much fun.++ For the next hours, in which they soon had to find Seraph a place to sit, Marlene noticed him lightening up more and more, as if the lone thought of meeting new people and spending time with them made him happy. Of course she did her best to evade topics like war or the military when it came to asking different citizens about their daily work and tasks, but all in all, they were all pretty good to handle and Seraph didn't seem to notice when a certain topic was skipped.

And then there were the children. At first, the few parents seemed to be reluctant to let their kids go near him, especially if they were still pretty young, but they seemed to warm up after a few hours, just like everyone else had. And Seraph seemed to enjoy playing with the children most. He even dropped down to his knees again and let them climb him, after they taught him how to play different games.

Marlene had often thought that it was because Seraph possessed the body of an adult, but the mindset of a kid. He laughed at the same things they laughed at, euphorically played the same games they did and even let them brush and braid his hair, while trying to do the same to them. It was like he was a child that just stuck out because of his height. And maybe the wings too, but one got used to seeing that after a while.

Only the sudden, spastic movements of his hands or legs that occurred sometimes, showed that there was something about him, that was not quite right. Marlene had already wondered where the twitching came from, but she could only guess that the origin of those involuntary movements was a neuronal issue, maybe some nerves that reacted overly sensitive to stimulation. But that was nearly all she knew about medicine and Seraph's body was a mystery in general.

“My lord, we need to go now. You can come back some other time to continue where you've left off.”

++Just a second, just ONE moment! I need to hear this!++ Marlene sighed and was about to start another lecture when she noticed that Seraph had a bunch of toddlers sitting in his lap that tried to tell him something all at once.

“So you just do that!”

“Yeah, go do that!”

“That's how my mommy said that it's done!”

“Don't forget to tell us about it, we want to hear all about it when you get back!“ She couldn't hear the reply, it seemed like Seraph wanted to keep this conversation private, so there was nothing she could do about that, but what could probably be so confusing for adults that he needed the help of children? He could've asked her instead! How rude...

++It was nice meeting all of you! I'm looking forward to do that again, you are all really good people.++ One would think that there would've been questions, but Marlene knew how things went. The citizens always needed some time to get used to what they were presented with and after the second or third time, they started to get out of their insecurity. And after that, the questions started and a whole bunch of paperwork, schedules and programs came along with it.

“What did you talk about? With the children, I mean.”, Marlene eventually asked, failing to hold back her curiosity once more, when they headed for the tall gates of the palace.

++Nothing special.++ She could hear something at the edge of her mind, slowly sinking into her conscious, as if it was barely there, but still recognizable enough to bug her. What was this? It seemed like it was even sinking into her bones, making them vibrate and provided her with the sudden sensation of feeling easy and energized. This sound, it almost made sense somehow, as if it had a system behind it. A melody.

“My lord, are you... humming?”

++Today is a good day, Marlene. I really like this day and I want to keep it in my memory as long as possible. Learning new things is fun,  _this_ is going to be fun!++

“And what did you learn, my lord? They do say that children teach us valuable lessons sometimes.”

++They're explaining everything very understandable. I don't mean to offend you in some way, but I have trouble understanding what you're trying to tell me sometimes. Those little humans seem to know how to put words in a better... I don't know, it just makes way more sense.++

“Always keep in mind that children don't have the experience to talk about certain things, my lord. The longer you live, the more experience you have in certain things, so you might get more satisfying answers from someone older.”

++That makes sense too! I mean, I'm very old, not as old as Cherub is, but this is my first time traveling through space, I haven't had any experiences when it comes to that subject. So I guess I'm like a child again, hm?++ Marlene nodded in agreement, not sure how she should tell Seraph that he had already acted like a child all along, but it was only natural that one would act like this if he hadn't been exposed to any thread at all. And now he was here. It would be quite difficult to explain to him why war was needed sometimes, that there were species and people in this galaxy that only wanted to destroy everything instead of coexisting. Oh throne and those who didn't want to be part of the Imperium, she had almost forgotten about those! But on the other hand, there was plenty of time for her to get Seraph used to normal human things first and then slowly build up to the moment of truth. Terra, if she had known that she would assist a primarch with helping an adorable, angel- like creature to integrate itself into human society and thus the Imperium of Mankind when she had been applying for this job...

“I think you're doing good, my lord.”

++Well, thanks! That's really sweet,  _you_ are really sweet!++ Oh throne...

“T-that's... My lord you shouldn't... Okay, I'll allow it just this time! But that's about it, it seems you have take some more common sense lessons first.” Better just take the compliment for once. Just this once. Not that anyone else didn't compliment her, but this right here was so innocent and honest, he could already imagine what it would be like if Seraph was to tell Magnus that he... Ugh, damn those distractions to the warp!

“You do know that you have your medical appointment today, right?”

++So that's where we're going... I don't like it, it smells funny in there.++

“That's just the disinfectant, you'll get used to it. And the medicae are really nice people, they'll treat you good. Besides, I'm coming with you and if they're not nice to you, I'll yell at them, okay?” Seeing Seraph smile at her made her heart race all of a sudden. Ha, as if her mind and heart hadn't had enough to work with already so that she could blush some more!

++It's getting colder.++

“Don't worry, you're going to be just fine. They'll only need a few blood samples and then you'll be free to go, I guess.” Seraph nodded, but Marlene was able to easily notice that this huge, angelic creature was not fond of letting go of her hand when they entered the medicine quarters, even though her hand was way smaller than his. Was he scared? No, that wasn't possible, judging from how his life had been up to now, it couldn't be that he knew what being scared felt like or even experience it. Unless of course someone had told him about this beforehand, but it was enough to make Marlene experience something she could only describe as a motherly urge to protect this creature It was unclear from what exactly, but it didn't matter to her, this kind of innocence needed to be protected from everything that may harm it.

“You don't have to worry, I'll stay right here. You're doing good.” The medical staff had a hard time seating Seraph on something that would actually make it possible for them to fully examine him from all sides. Or at least slightly more possible, considering the massive wings. Seraph didn't seem to mind all the people around him, he even started talking to them instantly, as If he had known them for a lifetime and was familiar with each and everyone of the medical staff. He hesitated a little to take off his robe and the shirt underneath, mainly because he got cold so easily, but Marlene gave him credit for trying so hard to make everyone comfortable while doing what had to be done.

“This might sting a little, hope your not afraid of needles.”

++I don't know what that is, so I guess I'm not. Could you explain to me what this is about, exactly? I'm trying to understand.++ The young man just looked at him in confusion before actually remembering what he was doing, clearly not used to get an answer to his monotone, automatic smalltalk he used to calm the patients with.

“We're going to take a little blood from you. See, this needle here?” He held up the pointy thing, making Marlene choke lightly in the process. That was way too big for a human anyway, but the lone thought of this thing piercing flesh and muscles scared her.

“It's hollow inside, so when I put this into your arm, your blood will flow through there and into one of those bags.”

++I know that word! Blood is the red stuff that circulates through your body, right? Ah, so exciting!++

“Yeah, the, uh.. red stuff.”, the young man nodded, still wanting to prove that his medical license hadn't been in vain, but unwilling to argue with a 10 foot tall angel-thing, who barely knew anything about the human race at all. But it seemed that this day still had a few unpleasant surprises reserved for him and everyone that had been assigned to this project.

“Have I... missed the vein? Great...” Marlene had not been looking in the general direction of this whole procedure, she was someone that got sick when seeing just as much as a paper cut, but now that there seemed to be problems, her responsibility kicked in and her mind demanded a problem to solve.

“Is there something wrong?”

“I'm, uh, not getting anything here. I dunno why though, I could've sworn I hit the vein, not to mention that there was pressure for a few moments, so I started drawing blood. Blood that... is apparently not there.” She was about to criticize this guy for his sloppiness, when she realized that he was already struggling to get the needle out of Seraph's arm to try again. No way, was that thing... stuck in there? Ugh, no, happy thoughts, happy thoughts!

“I think the medical staff should have their licenses double-checked soon.”, she managed to throw at the young man that was still trying to get the needle out. Luckily, he just gave her an annoyed look, too busy comprehending what was going on to notice how much she was trying to keep a straight face during this. All the little girls that wanted to study medicine didn't know what they were getting themselves into, Marlene knew exactly why she had chosen this job instead of something like that.

++I should've mentioned that I'm healing very fast, right? I'm sorry, I didn't think it was important, but that might be why its stuck in there.++

“You're _what_? Okay, listen, I'm going to pull this out now, not gonna lie, this will probably hurt. But you already survived me trying to find a vein, so I guess you'll be good.” To her surprise, Seraph didn't even flinch while she almost bit her tongue at the mere sight of how the skin was tugged on. Oh no, blood, there was blood. Okay. Okay, she had a basic knowledge of such injuries, everything was under control ,no one was about to die, there were people here that had been trained for such a situation, even though it didn't seem like anyone was really bothered by all the red, thick liquid that was-

“Is everything alright, Miss Salem?”

“Yeah, it's, uh... It's nothing! Nothing at all, I'm good, don't mind me, everything is just fine!”

++So that's what mine looks like! Didn't know it was like that.++

“What do you mean- _Sire_?” Seraph just shrugged, knocking about three people off of the ladders behind him which had been trying to measure his wings.

++There, it usually looks like this. All crunchy and stuff, I didn't know it could be liquid.++

“Terra...” Again, Marlene got in conflict with making herself noticed by people and keeping true to the sentence _'Don't mind me.'_ , even though it always came down to the latter somehow. But not this time. She was a self-confident woman, damn it! At least that's what she said to herself every morning in the mirror while getting ready for work.

“What is it? Messed something up a second time?”

“Way to treat a professional, Miss. But I have to admit, I've never seen something like this in my time before.” In his time? That guy was like 24 or something, that didn't count!

“His blood clods immediately and when I say immediately, I mean _instantly_. I've pulled the needle out like three seconds ago or something and it's already dry, not to mention that the blood in the needle is also useless by now. That was probably why I wasn't getting any blood too. I, uh... I need a moment, okay?”

“It's also healed.”

“What...?”

“It's healed, look at where the needle... _punctuated_ the skin, ugh, I can't believe I'm saying that.” Upon closer inspection after cleaning Seraph's arm from the remaining, crusted blood, it looked like it had before. No blue or red discoloration under the skin was visible, there wasn't even a way to tell where the needle had been in the first place.

“So... that's normal for you?”

++Yes? I thought that's how it works with you too, since we share many similarities in general!++

“No no, human bodies are way less durable, they're fragile.”

++That's why I have to be careful not to squish them while hugging or picking them up, right?++ The young man just nodded, clearly amazed by how annoying his day had gotten all of a sudden and that it was probably not going to end when his shift was over, but continue with a lot of paper work and reports, since Seraph had been declared a rather large medical project. Only the best had been chosen to work on this and Marlene couldn't help but wonder how this guy had been able to get approved at all.

“Okay, maybe... Maybe we should do the MRI first, it can't get any more weird than this, if you ask me. Please stand on that platform over there, be sure to not move and stand absolutely still.” He turned to Marlene and awarded her with a frosty glare.

“Since he can't lie down, we have to use an older machine, just for the record before you start questioning my professionalism again, Miss Salem.”

“It's not like I'm searching for any flaws here, I'm just trying to point out things I notice, _Mister_...” She quickly glanced at his lab ID card.

“Mr. Van Jonne!” So exotic. She wondered where he came from, his skin was pale and not heavily tanned like her own, but he seemed like the type of guy that stayed indoors at all costs, brooding over medical books and reports to get even better at what he was doing, constantly digging his fingers in his curly, dark hair in frustration.

“It doesn't help me doing my work better and more precisely if you stare at me like that, Miss. In fact, it makes me rather nervous and uncomfortable, thank you very much. ” What? What kind of weird response was that, did he not even bother asking why she was staring or even being the least bit awkward about it? Okay, his response had been awkward indeed, but not the kind she wanted to hear! It was like he wasn't even acknowledging that there was an attractive woman staring at him, what a strange guy. Most men Marlene had met would've already assumed that she was into them for some reason, since she didn't handle eye contact well most of the time and looked away straight afterwards, terribly embarrassed about her behavior. 

But now that she got such an unusual reaction that completely ignored her looks and probably also her gender in general, she suddenly felt very insecure about herself again. Was something wrong with her, did her hair look messy or something? Had she annoyed him too much and now he didn't want to work with her anymore? Throne, she was a horrible person, always distracting people and annoying them, she shouldn't be here, she should leave... But she had promised Seraph to not leave him alone and she had never broken a promise, not even once in her life!

++Are you okay, Marlene?++

“Why is everyone asking if I'm okay?! I am! I'm perfectly fine!”

++Well, because you seemed worried. You'll tell me if something is wrong, right?++

“Right, yeah. I... I didn't mean to yell at you.” She stroked back her hair and made sure that it was still tied in the usual, thick braid, completely forgetting to address Seraph with the proper respect he deserved, but he had walked where Van Jonne had directed him before she could correct herself.

“His scans should come up any minute, can't say I'm looking forward to this, since I'm already pretty close at my breaking point of weird stuff I can take, but at the same time I'm really looking forward to this.”, the young man mumbled to himself while impatiently tapping on the data slate in his hands until the images finally came up and formed a 3D model of Seraph's inner qualities. If Marlene hadn't known better, she would've guessed that he was made out of pure sugar on the inside, but considering the look on Van Jonne's face she thought that every explanation would have been more believable than what was displayed on the data slate.

“Okay, I admit that this takes the cake. I might as well start to write a letter in order to get my license revoked and go back to school again, because I apparently seem to have missed some crucial lessons.”

“Are you sure you belong in this medical unit, Mr. Van Jonne? Because it seems like you get frustrated pretty easily.”

“Frustrated? No no, this is the best day of my life! Finding something that unique, something that no one has ever seen before, a whole new species that only represents a human when it comes to its outer hull, but inside.... Inside is where the true secrets lie! I need to write this down.” Okay, wow, going from mildly incompetent to pretty creepy within less than five seconds, that was one for the record books. Marlene proceeded to mark this guy with a little caution sign in her memory and then decided to finally get some answers. After all, it wasn't like she hadn't been curious about Seraph's anatomy! In... more than one way.

“What's so special about him, the organs all seem to be there.”

“Yeah, except for the part where they aren't. I mean, of course they are, but not the ones that should be there if he was human! You're free to question my medical knowledge anytime, because I fear I can't stop you from doing that anyway, but right there is his stomach and after that... there's nothing.”

“But how does he digest things if there's no... This doesn't make sense, there has to be something!”

“And yet, there's absolutely nothing attached to it. It's perfectly closed, no openings except the one where food comes _in_. That right there could be a liver of some kind and those could be kidneys, but I'm not too sure about that, that in his chest right there are definitely lungs though. And then there are those other two organs I have no clue about. I mean, they could be anything, we can't know until we open him up and see for ourselves, but I doubt that would be possible with our current equipment, since he heals so fast. There's also something stuck in his neck somehow, I have no idea how it got there, but it seems like a little pebble that shoved itself between these two vertebra. He seems fine, but judging from the shape I'd say this pebble belonged to a larger object and the thing about this is that, well, getting such a large object jammed right into your spine would cripple a human for life, if not kill him. Our big guy here is a tough one, that's for sure!”

“That would explain why he does those, uh... jerky movements sometimes, right?”

“Probably. Look at that right there, I think that's his heart. Pretty huge, huh? You'd need to hold that with both of your hands, I'd imagine!” Ugh, scientists. So weird, so morbid. No no, she would most likely NOT marry anyone of those, if she'd ever gather the courage to marry someone anyway. After all, that was a pretty big decision and she had to think about her career and money, not to mention that her husband would most likely want to have children and she wasn't exactly made to be a mother, so what if he'd find that she did a lousy job and then leave her for some younger woman that-

“The most fascinating thing is that his body seems to be designed to fly, look at how the organs are adjusted inside the stomach area and the chest. They don't seem to take up much space, nor are they large enough to fill his torso, which means he should be able to fly, if he had less wings. The wings are a problem for him, if he had four then that would be totally fine, but six of those big ones? There's no way he could find a rhythm that wouldn't make him hit the wings on his lower back with those in the front.” Marlene snapped out of his thoughts, thankful that someone interrupted her inner monologue with what was actually relevant right now.

“Well, even nature isn't perfect, there had always been some evolutionary errors now and then!” Luckily, the young man decided to continue looking at the 3D model, which spared him from noticing how angrily Marlene tried to stare him down right now. How dared he saying something this insensitive, Seraph wasn't some kind of error, he was way too beautiful and kind hearted to be treated like this! Also, he was ten times more adorable than this incompetent guy would ever be,maybe even ten times more adorable than any other man!

“The bone structure is unlike anything I've ever seen! I mean, it's solid bone, but by far not as heavy as ours, not at all! When taking his height and the weight of an average human man, he should at least have twice his current weight, very intriguing. Nature, oh nature, what have you done this time and why do you love to make a fool out of scientists that often...? A name, we need a name! I'm sure that there are more of him, also, it would look weird if there was no name on the book I'm going to write about his species!” And now she wanted to punch him, preferably in the face.

“Hm, a name, a name... Ah, isn't it great to find something entirely new?”

“I think the honor of naming this species belongs to the primarch himself.”, she intervened, successfully ruining the young man's mood. Good. He deserved that, after all he had put her- and Seraph!- through.

“Ah, yes... Yes, of course. I got carried away a little, pardon me. That... happens sometimes.”

“As long as it doesn't happen again.” Marlene adjusted her hair once more, suddenly feeling extremely confident in herself and her position. She had been chosen to take care of Seraph and she wouldn't fail at this task, not to mention that this was an excellent way to show off her talent and skill when it came to doing what had to be done. At least she thought so, trying to not think about how much of an exhausting, stressful situation she had maneuvered herself into. This was an all or nothing thing, there was nothing in between, either she would complete her task and probably get a promotion, a fortune of money and maybe also overcome her various anxieties, or she would fail, lose her job forever and never recover from the emotional damage again. All in or all out.

To be fair, it had been an awfully spontaneous decision, everyone had bragged about how they would be the first ones to get assigned to this project, while she had planned to keep quiet like she always did and let the others handle this, they would do a much better job anyway. But something inside her had made her write an application for the Seraph project and before she knew it, she had already send it. Safe to say that Marlene hadn't been able to sleep for a week after this. And then another week after she got a message that congratulated her for being part of the new team and told her that her new task was personally taking care of the subject in question. Sometimes she thought about what would have happened if she hadn't applied, who would have been caretaker instead of her and if he or she had done a better job than her. But that wasn't important right now, she was still in the middle of something and Seraph hadn't complained so far! As if it was even possible for him to complain about something, she had her doubts about that one.

++Can I see that too?++

“Uh, of course! Why not, you deserve it.” At first, Seraph seemed confused by what he saw when Van Jonne handed him the data slate, but after turning it into various directions for a few seconds, he seemed to recognize himself.

++Is that me?++

“It is.”

++On the inside?++

“Yes, on the inside. Those are your bones, this is your heart, your lungs, your stomach and... Not sure what the others things are supposed to be, but I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually!” Marlene nodded now and then, leaving everything to the man that had actually studied medicine and knew what he was talking about. At least most of the time.

“The interesting part is the brain though, I'd like to get a few scans of that in particular. Also with various stimulations, just so that we get an idea of how he- how you react to certain things and how your brain processes certain information.”

“Let's do that at the next appointment, I'm sure he'd like to get something to eat now.”

“Is that so, _Miss Salem_?”

“Yes, _Mr. Van Jonne_. I have a tight schedule for today and need to get that done.”

“So you're basically telling me when to do my job now?” Marlene managed to raise her chin a little, even if it was hard for her to behave confidently if she hadn't had any left.

“That depends, are you telling me when to do mine?” To her surprise, he gave in rather easily and sighed. Apparently her acting was better than she had thought.

“Fine, we all got to do what we're paid for. Next appointment it is, but don't you dare canceling that one.” The look he gave her made her nod instead of actually replying, fearing that her voice might break down mid sentence. He didn't even seem to be mad at her for talking to him like that! What on holy Terra was wrong with this guy, that wasn't normal behavior! Ugh, why did she always end up working with the weird ones...?

++You seem startled, is everything alright?++

“My lord, what did I tell you about privacy?”

++Oh, right. Not snooping around in other people's heads and feelings, I'm sorry. I'll try to not do that anymore, but it was so present that I couldn't ignore it. May I be of help somehow?++

“No no, you don't need to concern yourself with this, my lord! I'll take care of it myself.” Luckily, Van Jonne seemed to be out of range to hear what they talked about, not to mention that it wouldn't make sense to him anyway since Seraph's replies would be missing, but still... She was just glad to finally get out of this room and leave that strange man be.

“I assure you, everything is just the way it should be.”

++I see. You wouldn't mind me asking something then?++

“Of course not, my Lord.” Strangely, Seraph was the only man in this palace that seemed to get her somehow and knew how to talk to her without making her stumble across her own thoughts, even if that sounded as weird as blueberry-banana cupcakes. 

++I'd love to eat with you today! I hope that's okay with you, I know how busy you are.++

“I don't think I fit at the table you're going to sit, my Lord.”

++That's true, we need to get you a bigger chair so that you can actually reach things!++

“What I mean is...” Marlene sighed. Even if she would explain it forty thousand times more, Seraph would probably never understand why there was a gap between them that should not and could not be crossed, no matter what.

“You surely have a lot of private things to discuss with the lord primarch, I wouldn't belong in this setting at all.”

++Oh, I see. I can understand why you're nervous around him, he is awfully big for your human standards, isn't he? It's like that with small animals too, they're scared of the bigger ones!++

“That is _not_ what I was implying at -”

++We can eat alone then, I wouldn't mind that either. Together alone, that's such a funny paradox! Is this evening okay for you?++ Marlene stared at him for a couple of moments, unwilling to accept what she had just heard. Why would he even want to spend time with her apart from their daily routines and tasks? Okay, relax. He would do that with everyone, this was nothing special. It was a... business thing, yes! Strictly business, like two colleagues getting lunch during work, slightly weird but okay!

“If you insist on it, then I could probably clear a spot for dinner this evening, my Lord.”, she replied reluctantly, but seeing Seraph laugh made her forget about any possible regrets that would come with this. It was as if all the negative thoughts had disappeared, what bad could possibly come of this? They would have a good time and then she would head to bed like she always did, this was just another caretaker thing. Apart from that, Marlene had no doubt that Seraph had a ton of questions for her and he wouldn't hesitate to bury her with endless conversations and topics.

++Thank you, Marlene! You know how much I enjoy talking to you, this really means a lot to me.++ Ah yes, there it was. As far as she saw it, she wouldn't get to eat much rather than answering and explaining every possible thing with as much detail as possible this evening, but she didn't feel pressured by it, it was exactly the opposite. It made her relax. At the beginning, this all sounded way too intimate, but now that Marlene knew what Seraph was after, she couldn't help but looking forward to this. Of course, she had to be dressed appropriately, her hair had to be perfect, her manners excellent and she should probably go easy on the wine, but all in all, this wasn't as pressuring as she had feared, it was strictly professional. And she knew how to do that. Hopefully. On second thought, maybe she should completely skip the wine and settle for water instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to a beloved, old character of mine, Balthasar Van Jonne.   
> May your rotting corpse rise from the grave one day, just like you made countless others rise to serve you in your time of need.


End file.
